A covering material as described above, comprising a metal layer that is mesh-shaped and provided with apertures, and furthermore a layer of bituminous material applied at least one side of the mesh and extending through the apertures, wherein the bituminous material comprises a bitumen and a polymer that is a thermoplastic elastomer, is known from applicant's, international PCT application WO 2004/083555 A1. According to this PCT application the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) with which the bitumen could have been modified, can particularly be SBS (styrene butadiene styrene) polymer or—in connection with its UV-resistance—SEBS (styrene ethylene/butadiene styrene) polymer. Furthermore the content of SBS or SEBS preferably is approximately 10-30% by weight, particularly approximately 20% by weight, related to the overall weight of the bitumen. According to the said PCT application the advantage of modification of bitumen with a thermoplastic elastomer is that the thus modified bitumen is highly stretchable and has a large penetration resistance.
There is a need for a simple and manageable process for a roofing material, that is durable, easy to apply, in particular can be plastically arranged in a profile shape, and may serve as a lead-substitute.
There is a need for a simple and manageable process for manufacturing such a roofing material, with which desired properties, composition and/or thickness can be adapted to.
There is a need for such a roofing material, which retains its integrity and sealing effect also in case of deformation and after a long service life.